Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Crime is morphing away from traditional methods to more sophisticated technological approaches. A decline of traditional hierarchical criminal groups and networks will be accompanied by the expansion of a virtual criminal underground made up of individual criminal entrepreneurs. At the same time, forward-looking agencies are equipping themselves with smart technologies to outfox the criminals. Keep up to date with crime changes below.

• [New] Designation of the Houthis as Global Terrorists: The United States will begin designating the Houthis as a specifically designated global terrorist organization in the middle of February, which may prevent them from accessing the international banking system. The Prayas India
• [New] Whilst Islamist-inspired terrorism continues to represent the greatest terrorist threat to UK interests, the threat from Extreme-Right Wing Terrorism is growing and evolving, particularly through the radicalization of increasingly younger individuals from dangerous online content. GOV.UK
• [New] The ongoing instability in Afghanistan, exacerbated by the Taliban's resurgence and the presence of various terrorist groups, poses a persistent threat to regional security. SpecialEurasia
• [New] Environmental crimes like land grabbing, illegal deforestation, and poaching hinder climate action, deter investment in sustainable practices, and threaten biodiversity across major biomes worldwide. Mongabay Environmental News
• [New] By defining the invasion in explicitly spiritual terms, the Russian Orthodox Church hopes to whitewash the war crimes being committed in Ukraine and encourage more ordinary Russians to volunteer. Atlantic Council
• [New] Israel has sought to limit the number of men allowed to return to the north over concerns that Hamas members could slip through and re-establish control, rolling back Israeli military gains that sought to oust the terror group from its power base. The Times of Israel
• [New] What began as a regional crime threat in South-East Asia is now a rampant human trafficking and illicit trade crisis with global implications. The Star
• [New] Terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan were acting as proxies against Pakistan and its economic interests, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, posing a threat to regional and global security. The Express Tribune
• [New] Revolut must manage remittances in Mexico very carefully in part because of the risk posed by illicit profits from organized criminal organizations that often flow from drug cartel operations in the United States. MarketScreener
• [New] A surge of confidence by supporters of the Islamic State terror group - reflected in a series of online threats against Europe combined with its deadly attack on a concert hall in Russia - is giving security officials in the United States cause for concern. Counter Extremism Project
• [New] With conflict in the Middle East and Russia's invasion of Ukraine combined with the threat of terror attacks, the French government has raised the security level to its highest level. Sky News
• [New] Fraud, including financial crimes related to the use of counterfeit U.S. passport cards, is the largest source of illicit proceeds in the United States and represents one of the most significant money laundering threats to the United States. AML Intelligence
• [New] The involvement of proxy groups supported by both Iran and Israel poses a considerable risk of proxy warfare and terrorism. SpecialEurasia
• [New] Iran funds, trains, and arms terror proxies across the Middle East and beyond, adding that the Islamic republic does not just threaten the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, but fuels the war in Ukraine and beyond. Al Jazeera
• [New] In 2024, cybersecurity continues a shift from a mere technological concern to a critical business issue thanks to global conflicts, major elections (including that of the White House), looming terrorist threats, and other developments. Blog | TechMagic
• [New] The Netherlands lost a case about delivering F-35 fighter planes that would operate in Gaza, because of the risk of them being used in war crimes. Al Jazeera
• Although the threat from terrorism in Switzerland is generally low, there is still a risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by tourists and expatriates. Ireland.ie
• The IDF could lure Hamas into a false sense of security and pull off a Shifa Hospital-style clean-up operation, just as soon as the terrorist group concentrates too many of its forces in one place. The Jerusalem Post
• The NATO alliance provides Greece with a crucial framework for defence cooperation, enabling it to effectively address common security threats, including terrorism, cyber-attacks, and regional instability. GreekReporter.com
• The use of artificial intelligence is not contrary to international law, but the way Israel is using it could amount to a war crime. Le Monde.fr
• In 2024's Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, terrorism shows up on page 38 out of 40, behind problems such as fentanyl, money laundering, cyber crime and human trafficking. BizNews.com
• The Israeli military's reported use of an untested and undisclosed artificial intelligence-powered database to identify targets for its bombing campaign in Gaza has alarmed human rights and technology experts who said it could amount to war crimes. Al Jazeera

Last updated: 27 April 2024